Indivisibles,

President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act on Tuesday, enshrining national protection for marriage equality into law and finalizing a legislative process that began way back in July on the heels of the Dobbs decision and the GOP’s escalating attacks on our freedoms. 

Yesterday, Senator Leahy announced that a bicameral, bipartisan framework has been reached for 2023 governmental funding, potentially heading off fears of a shutdown when the Republican House majority is sworn in on January 3. 

Important legislation can be accomplished during the final session. 

During the post-election, pre-holidays period, we’re often lulled into a false sense of inaction. We give all that we can give during the election cycle and then patiently wait for the seating of the next Congress to continue our advocacy. 

We cannot wait for the next Congress to pursue our legislative priorities. The time is now.

Legislation is still being passed. There is work to be done. We have a shrinking window of a Democratic trifecta to effect change before a broken Republican House majority effectively blocks any chance of progress through inept, disorganized, and disruptive leadership.  

Help us make a difference:

• Call your Republican senator today and tell them to pass an omnibus government funding package. A framework has been agreed to, now we need them to pass it. We cannot afford to let a deal stretch into the new Congress, imperiling government funding through extremist obstructionism. Even Republicans understand the danger; let’s make sure they act to avert it. Call your Republican senators and demand they agree to a full year of governmental funding, preventing extremist House Republicans from forcing a shutdown.
• If you have a Democratic senator, call them and tell them they need to stay in session until their work is done. We know there is a clock running out on how much time is left to achieve legislative victories, and our Democratic senators know it too. Let’s encourage them to stay in session and achieve as much as possible. Word behind the scenes is that they are already thinking about staying in session, so call today to make sure those thoughts become a reality.
• Call your Republican representative and demand that they vote “yes” on reforms to the Electoral Count Act. The Electoral Count Act is a widely popular piece of legislation that would take critical steps to protect against future attempts to steal a presidential election. It has a chance to be included in the omnibus spending package, so we need to act fast to ensure it succeeds. As we come up on the two-year anniversary of the January 6th attack on democracy, we must do everything we can to prevent extremists from exploiting vulnerabilities to steal power. Put the pressure on your representatives to get it done today.
• If you have a Democratic representative, call them and ask them to stay in session until their work is finished. Thanks to the final session, the Respect for Marriage Act is now law, but we can’t stop there. Remind your representatives that this historic legislation is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s more left to accomplish.

Remember, Congress still gets paid during a shutdown. Working-class Americans will feel the damage while extremist legislators hold the government hostage to play politics. Call now to ensure that our representatives understand this is unacceptable, and that it is their duty to continue working until the job is done. 

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team